The Long Con
by ChetvornoHoro
Summary: After the Titanic, Rose becomes pregnant and she runs away with a dangerous man, who takes care of her. And when Cal Hockley tries to find her while Robert Ashley tries to hurt him, Rose's life becomes a series of twists and turns and tumults...
1. Prologue: Rose

**Author's Note: Okay I have a new idea , and I hope you like it.**

Sometimes when I look at my life so far and all of the things in my life–like my daughter, my new apartment, Robert–I think about how life can be so cruel, turning and changing, without ever giving you a chance to realize it or adjust. Well, that's how life was with me. Life didn't change the way I thought. And I'm starting to wonder if this was ever a good change.

It was April 15, 1920, and I spent the entire day thinking about that a lot. I didn't go anywhere that day; I never do on April 15th. I just spent all day inside my lovely apartment thinking about how much had changed from last year, and the year before, and the year before.

I spent so much time thinking that year, that I completely ignored my daughter and I wasn't even thinking about Robert, which is a bad idea, because they both need to be watched, especially Robert, even though he's a grown man.

My thoughts were interrupted though, later that night, as Robert Ashley opened the door and ran into the living room, with his lovely blond hair messed up, and his brilliant blue eyes showing anxiety.

"Rose," he said panting, "If someone comes in here asking for me, tell them I'm out of town...no wait! Tell them they have the wrong address. Okay? Thanks."

As he ran into his bedroom and locked the door, I sighed, exasperated. He was in some kind of trouble again, as usual. But then, when _wasn't_ he in trouble?

At that moment, I heard tiny footsteps behind me, and I turned around. Behind me, my daughter, with my green-blue eyes and her father's blond hair, was standing in her thin nightgown, holding a glass of water.

"Ruby," I said softly, "What are you doing? You're supposed to be in bed. It's a school night, you know."

" I know mother," she said in her baby voice, "But I couldn't sleep. Can I have another glass of water?"

Before I could answer her, there was a knock on the door. Knowing exactly who it was, I went over and opened it.

"Hello miss," said an old, but very well-dressed man. "Is there a Mister Robert Ashley here?"

"No sir, you have the wrong address," I said quietly.

His smile faded. He probably knew I was lying. "I'm sorry for inconveniencing you, miss." He walked away.

I closed the door then, quietly, and walked back into the living room. I was going to tell Ruby she was allowed to stay up a little longer, but then, I heard Robert coughing and then I heard him struggling at the door. I changed my mind then, and told Ruby to go straight to bed. I didn't like Ruby being around Robert during his "drunk moments" and those moments were often.

After placing my daughter into bed, I went to bed myself. I had more to think about. Now I had to worry about Robert, again. Someone was looking for him again! Robert was probably going to hide in his bedroom for weeks–or maybe more than that. Or, we were going to have to run away and go someplace else–again.

I had to worry about my life turning again, for the hundredth time.


	2. Rose

I met Robert Ashley eight years ago, when I was in the deepest of trouble and in the most desperate state.

I was on an ocean liner, called the Titanic. The Titanic was what changed my life. Before I came on the Titanic, I was a seventeen year old girl with little troubles, but at the same time, a lot to deal with. I had a very blessed life in the beginning. I was a girl of society, and I was rich and I had the...life of a princess. My life for the most part was simple and very peaceful, full of good respectable schools, maids, and all I had to worry about was to make sure that I looked good for the numerous dinner parties that I attended so often.

If only I could go back to those times. _Now _I think that.

My father had a problem. But even though he had an addiction, I still loved him over my cold, selfish mother. Even when he was gambling all of our money away, I still loved him. Even when he died, leaving behind many debts and many burdens for my Mother and me, I still loved him.

And I still love him today.

My mother couldn't handle the pressure, or the money troubles. So, she placed the problems on me. She had a solution. She had introduced me to the wealthy Caledon Hockley, the son of Nathaniel Hockley, the steel tycoon. And then, plans were arranged and soon enough, I was engaged to Caledon Hockley in order to save my mother and me from working, or suffering financially.

I hated it, and I protested. For one thing, I was seventeen. I was still a young girl! My friends, they didn't have to marry, and they weren't planning on getting married sonn. It was as if I was forced to grow up in a rush–something I wasn't ready for.

And then, there was Cal himself. I hated him before and I hate him now. I already knew how my marriage was going to be like with him. I knew plenty of girls who married old men and ended up having very unhappy marriages, and I didn't see this marriage to be of any exception whatsoever. Cal was polished and well-mannered and cool, yes, but when we were alone, he would completely change. He was demanding and controlling, and jealous and arrogant, and God, he was abusive. He treated me like a foolish child, slapping me in the mouth every time I talked back or even looked as if I was going to argue with him in any way. I couldn't bare the thought of spending my life with Cal. My mother gave me a very huge burden on my shoulders.

So, I was seventeen and engaged when I went on the Titanic. And also, I was unhappy, very depressed. And if it weren't for Jack Dawson, I would have killed myself long ago.

I met Jack Dawson when I was on the Titanic. He became my friend and l learned to trust him, after he saved my life the first time. He was poor, but that didn't matter to me, even if it mattered to my mother and Cal. I fell in love with him, and we had plans. I admit: I was using Jack in the beginning, and I was planning on running away with him, and marrying him.

And then the Titanic hit an iceberg and went down and ruined everything. Jack died, leaving me, once again, back with Cal and my burden.

After the sinking, Cal and mother found me again, and I went to Philadelphia with them. It was agreed that I would live with mother, until the wedding, which was in August.

During that time, I met Robert Ashley.

I was doing a little shopping alone, when I met Robert in the most usual position: he was in an argument with a policeman. What crime it was, I never really knew clear enough until months later. Well, I don't know how I did it, but I accidently got him out of trouble. And when I did, he was grateful. He was so grateful, that he followed me around the entire time, telling me thank you. He must have been infatuated by me too, and I admit, I was also infatuated. He reminded me of Jack in a way, except he seemed more refined.

Anyway, at around the time I was becoming friends with Robert Ashley, I was having some serious problems. He minor problem was the fact that my wedding date was getting closer and closer. My major problem was shameful; I was pregnant.

Three months after the Titanic sinking and Jack, I became certain that I was pregnant–Mother had told me a little bit of information about sex and pregnancy after my engagement. I knew who the baby was for; I never slept with Cal and Cal believed that I was still as pure as a lily, and he wanted it to stay that way until the wedding night. But...I knew I was wrong for taking my affair with Jack a little too far. But I was a child and I was ignorant; I listened to the silly things girls whispered to each other, ideas about how a girl couldn't get pregnant the first time she was with a man. I was certain I was going to get away with it; and also, I was planning on running away with Jack and marrying him; the sinking wasn't supposed to happen.

So, I was engaged to one man, pregnant for another man that wasn't my husband, and I didn't know what to do, or who to tell. I was so scared. My mother was going to hate me and scold me, and call me a disgrace. And Cal...God, I was scared of him. If he found out that I was pregnant for Jack, he'll...I didn't even want to think of the possibilities. I cried myself to sleep every night over this. What was I going to with this little one?

Soon after I became aware that I was pregnant, I met Robert Ashley again. I went with him to a place where I was sure know would recognize me, and get me into trouble again. We talked for awhile and then we laughed and then we became silent.

And when he asked for the reason why I always looked so scared, I took a deep breath–because I trusted him now, and he was involved now, and because I just had to tell someone, _anyone_–and explained everything to him. I explained Cal, my mother, the Titanic, Jack, and finally I told him that I was pregnant. After I had finished, I cried, completely out of shame.

"I know what you're going to think of me now," I sobbed, tears rolling my cheeks.

"No, what do I think of you?" he asked innocently, before I could continue.

I just stared at him for a minute. Was he crazy? "You're going to think I'm a whore," I said in a matter-of-fact tone. "You're going to think I'm some stupid girl, and I'm no different than one of those bad girls and street walkers! But please–please, I'm not that. I know I was wrong and I know I shouldn't have done it, even though I loved the man I was with. But I can't change that, and now I need help and"–this was said in a tearful whisper–"I'm scared, Mr. Ashley."

After I finished, he sighed sharply. He seemed to be annoyed. "Stop that, you–child! Obviously you do think it's wrong–you wouldn't be sitting here sobbing if you didn't think it was wrong! I understand you made the mistake, but God, crying never solves a problem and I'm not going to let you sit here and think that's the only thing you can do."

He gave me a handkerchief and he waited for me to clean my face before he continued.

"Remember what I told you when I first met you? You help me and I'll help you? Well, I haven't forgotten it. And I didn't forget the time you helped me when we first met. And now, I'm going to help you. Listen: you told me before you didn't love your fiancé, how scared you are of him. Do you want to live like that? No, you don't, I can tell in your eyes how you don't want to. And I won't allow you to. Rose, love-- you're going to leave, and you're coming with me." The last sentence was said in a straightforward, matter-of-fact tone.

"With you?" I exclaimed, my green-blue eyes flashing. "I hardly know you! How could I leave and go with you, when I–"

"Either you come with me now, or deal with your fiancé and mother later, " he said. And then in whisper, "I'm taking a train to Brooklyn tomorrow and I could always sneak you on, and I'm always looking for someone to travel with. Now do you want to come or not? You only have till tomorrow to decide."

Of course I thought about it, and I thought about it quick too. This man–who didn't judge me, or scold me, and was willing to take and save an unmarried pregnant girl who had committed adultery–seemed like my savior in an instant. He was honest too. He wanted me to come with him, travel with him, which seemed exciting and just made me feel giddy for the first time in a long time. All I could think about was how he was helping me and how exciting he was.

The next morning, I, Rose DeWitt-Bukater, three months pregnant, and with a suitcase in hand, sat in a train on the way to Brooklyn, New York, with Robert Ashley.


	3. Rose II

So, I ran away from home with Robert Ashley, a man I didn't know a single thing about. I was desperate, and he was my solution. When I finally realized what kind of person Robert Ashley was, and what I had gotten myself into, it was too late.

Soon after I ran away with Robert Ashley, I found out he was a con artist, a real life con artist (which explains why he's always in trouble with people, and why he was arguing with the policeman on the day we met). To Robert, conning people out of their money was like a profession, and he had been doing this ever since he was a fourteen year old boy on the streets of New York City. Yes, he's been on his own ever since he was fourteen. He started off doing simple things: pick pocketing and classic card tricks. He didn't start becoming a confidence trickster until he was seventeen, and he didn't play an imposter in order to get a job until he was nineteen, almost twenty. Robert Ashley has never been to jail or even arrested–but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's never been caught. That is the reason why Robert is constantly hiding and running to every city in America. That was the reason why he was taking a train to Brooklyn. But I didn't know that. I was still seventeen, very young and far too naive.

Of course, when I found out about Robert and his ways, I wanted to leave him. But how could I? I came from a very luxurious life. If I ended up on the streets I wouldn't know what to do. I wouldn't be able to take care of myself properly. And then, when my daughter was born, it would be much worse. And no one was going to want to take care of an unmarried seventeen year old girl, who had gotten into trouble. So, I stayed with Robert, even though I didn't agree with the things he did.

Robert was interested in me, because I knew a lot of people–people with money. But he was also interested in something else.

It was our first day being in Brooklyn and we were in a hotel. I was getting ready for bed, opening my suitcase so I could get my navy blue kimono robe for the night. As I was putting my suitcase back into order, Robert passed me–and noticed something inside my suitcase.

"My God, what there did you get _that_," he said, placing his hand inside my suitcase and taking out what he was talking about–my necklace.

Oh yes, my necklace. I explained it to him. It's called the Heart of the Ocean, and it once belonged to King Louis XVI–it had a history with French royalty. It's beautiful, very beautiful, with a beautiful chain and in the center, a dark blue, and very, very rare diamond. Of course, this necklace was extremely expensive. I would have loved it, but it has a dark history to it. Cal Hockley gave it to me on the Titanic as a gift. I loved it at first, but now, seeing where it came from and who gave it to me, I now know better than to love it fully. It survived the Titanic, and I had it. I don't know why I took it with me. When I was packing my bags that night, I took it at the last minute and carefully placed it in my suitcase. I guess I didn't want to part with it.

But Robert was only interested in the diamond. He couldn't stop looking at it and asking questions.

"And how much is this diamond worth?" he asked.

I told him the price Cal told me. When he heard the price, he stared at me with his wide blue eyes and asked me to repeat it.

"Jesus Christ," he muttered to himself.

"I thought about selling it, " I said. "I know this can help us a lot in the future–"

"No," he said sharply. He carefully placed the necklace back into the suitcase. "For now, I want you to keep it and take good care of it."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Robert and I found a little apartment in Brooklyn two days later. The apartment was small, but for the most part it was a place to live and it was far away from Cal or Mother.

Life was fine for a little while. Robert would sometimes find a job. I learned how to cook and clean. I was learning how to dust and how to scrub, but I was a horrible cook and I didn't go far in sweeping. But we were fine, and sometimes at night after we had finished eating our dinner, we would go to the small, narrow bed in our bedroom and lay there together and talk all night long, because we didn't have anyone else to talk to. Other times, though, Robert would find a girl on his way home, and then he would come home late at night and fall asleep on the couch in our small living room.

Everything was fine until women begin to find out about Robert and me. The women were so good and generous to me, but when they found out that I was pregnant and wasn't married to Robert but still living with him, they completely turned against me. I was different now, I was a "bad girl", a girl who was suddenly not good enough to talk to the other girls who were still pure and still had their nice, slim bodies. I was a whore, and I was supposed to be shunned. No one was supposed to talk to me.

Finally, there came a time when the insults, the shunning, and the hateful stares all hit a climax, and that was when Robert and I agreed that we couldn't live there anymore. So, the second we were able to, we packed up and took a train to Chicago, Illinois.

It was the same thing in Chicago. We slept in a hotel on the first day, and then, later that week, we found an apartment. And then, we unpacked and I cleaned as much as I could, and then we were fine again. This time, we made up a nice little story for everyone. We told everyone that Robert and I were married for two years and that we were expecting our very first child together (my stomach was beginning to show and I was finally feeling life). Of course, no one questioned it and that's how it went for a while.

The baby was born in that apartment building. I started having pains in the middle of the night of course, and Robert ran straight for a midwife the second I told him (thank God, he wasn't drinking that night). And inside of my bedroom, on December 28, 1912, with the help of the midwife, and surrounded by all of the women that were once mothers and were now encouraging me, my daughter was born. She was beautiful, simply beautiful, with my green-blue eyes, and her father's blond hair. She had beautiful lips. All of the women commented on her ruby red lips. Ruby Josephine was her name and she was my daughter.

She was a wonderful baby. She was so quiet and so good, even if I was a terrible mother in the beginning. If it weren't for the neighborhood women who told me everything I needed to know about child-rearing, I would have been completely lost and crazy long ago.

Things began to break apart at around the time Ruby began to crawl.

Robert had two vices, two very typical vices, two vices that many men have: alcohol and women. Robert, with his young, handsome looks, and his flattering tongue, and his confidence, was a ladies-man by nature. He loved women and he enjoyed the company of them, and even though Robert and I were living together, pretending to be married, Robert still continued to go out and talk to women everywhere he went. I didn't mind the women, but I did mind the drinking. He was a drinker and I hated it when he would come home from one of his nights, and he would be so unpleasant and rude–and sometimes, he would scare me. Whenever he was like that, I would lock myself in the bedroom and hold Ruby as tight and as close as I could, and I wouldn't let him come in or answer him when he knocked. Eventually, he would fall asleep on the couch in a stupor.

One night, Robert was walking home from a saloon, and he was, of course, drunk. Like plenty of other people I met in my life, when Robert's drunk, he's bold and pretty cocky. So, he wasn't at all shy when he decided to flirt and persuade our neighbor's young, virginal daughter. When he did that, the young girl–her name was Rachel–went back to tell her mother, positively scared of Robert and his advances. Her mother, suddenly concerned about the girls in the neighborhood who were within arm's reach of Robert, started warning the mothers about him. Of course they were appalled. They never thought that Robert would be the kind of man that they had to keep away from their daughters. But they did, and now the women were beginning to act the same way the women did in Brooklyn. They shunned us, showing no respect for Robert because he was a drunk and a dirty man, and they didn't show any respect for me because I was "married" to Robert and continued to stay that way.

It ended the same exact way. We finally lost our last ally and we were completely isolated, so we once again, packed up and moved to the other side of Chicago. This time, Robert promised to control himself a little more, and for a good while, he stayed out of trouble.

But only for a little while.


	4. Rose III

When I moved to the opposite side of Chicago with Robert in July of 1913, I was almost nineteen years old and definitely not prepared for some of the things I was exposed to when I went there.

Things were very different in the place Robert and I lived in. We lived in an area where Robert had a lot of friends. I guess when you're a con artist and a criminal, you need a lot of allies.

Coming from a very privileged, prim and restricted lifestyle, I was very sheltered from a lot of the corruption in our world. That was one thing I learned that year. I had a very protected life and I thank God I had someone like Robert to help me handle it.

Robert lived in a world that was very different from the world I lived in before. And Robert was quick to introduce me to the saloons and bars, the fast girls, the gambling. I learned how skilled of a con artist Robert was, and I learned about how most people in the world were unfortunate or troubled. I learned a lot, and I went through a lot that year. But I only observed it. I never experienced it though, just simply tiptoed around everything, still a little too scared to go inside the middle of everything and find out the results of the experience.

When I think about my life before, and the people that I left behind in that life, I just want to laugh at it, and laugh at them. My old girl friends, they were all living in a bubble–and they probably still are. While they were living in a rose-tinted world of debutantes and elegant dinner parties and maids and finding suitable husbands as their largest worry, I was living in with Robert, with my baby, in the real world. I didn't grow up like my friends did and I wasn't willing to go back to their world either. Within a month, I had been exposed to too much. Going back would be like going backwards in time and you simply can't do that. I just wouldn't be able to live in that world again.

The major–and last– thing that happened in Chicago was the fight. It happened in early January of 1914.One night, I was in my bedroom, reading a book and keeping a close eye on Ruby, when I heard the sound of someone pounding frantically at the door. I was a little nervous, but I took a risk and opened the door.

"Robert was in an accident!" said a skinny, black-haired man the second I opened the door.

"What!" I said. I felt my body go weak and my head go tense at the thought of Robert injured or worse–

"He's badly hurt!" the boy continued, still panting–he must have ran all the way to my apartment Finally, he stopped for a minute and then, quickly, he explained. "Robert, he was in the barroom he's usually in, being his usual good self, and he wasn't doing anything to anyone at all. And then, this man comes in and starts cussing and yelling at Robert, and telling everyone this and that about how Robert took his money, and then he started calling Robert a thief and a cheat and a liar, and then Robert, his temper finally flared up and then he started defending himself, and well–Robert gave that man a good punch and that's when it all started. We managed to fight the man off of Robert, but the he still got him good--"

I didn't even listen to the rest of what the boy said. I just went to the bed room, took Ruby out of her crib and sent her to my neighbors, asking them to take care of her while I went to find Robert–and then I followed the boy out of the apartment building, and down a few blocks to Robert's usual spot.

I noticed Robert the second I walked inside and I nearly cried when I saw him through the crowd with his torn jacket, his wavy blond hair out of place, and his scratched face with the bloody lip. I didn't even hesitate, I didn't even think. I just ran over to the bench he was lying on, and then I had to push through the men crowding around him.

"Let me pass!" I shouted. "I'm his wife!"

And then in an instant all I could hear was, "Let the woman pass!" and "It's Robert's wife coming through!"

When I finally came to Robert, I crouched down and held his hand before I turned around and shouted for a wet towel and a little bit of help. I needed to clean his lip, since no one bothered to do it.

Finally, with a little bit of help from the men, I was able to walk a limping Robert home. The men helped him onto the old, leather couch in the living room while I fixed him tea in the kitchen.

The truth is, I didn't want to see Robert at all. I knew it was wrong, but I was angry at him when I heard the story and I was even angrier at him after I smelled the familiar scent of alcohol on his breath. Accident? No, it wasn't an accident, and no, I wasn't stupid either. I had learned a lot during those past months with Robert to know better. And I knew better than to believe that Robert was a poor, innocent victim. This wasn't a story about a drunken bum that lost his mind one night. God knows the strange man was telling the truth when he told everyone that Robert was a liar that cheated him out of his money.

I figured Robert deserved the fight. And I thought, maybe he needed to get beaten up, just to understand exactly what he was doing, and maybe, he'll stop and turn around and change for the better. I was nineteen years old and still very young and very innocent, despite all that I had went through. I didn't know then, that Robert was in plenty of fights with plenty of people, in plenty of barrooms. This incident wasn't going to change Robert. Robert was beyond help.

But my childish beliefs gave me some form of hope. I managed to forgive Robert right then and there, and finally, I came out of the kitchen to serve Robert his tea. And besides, I needed to get Ruby too.

The next day, Robert didn't go anywhere. He slept on the couch the entire day instead. I didn't let it worry me though. I knew Robert needed to recover and get better.

But then, a week had passed. Robert was better, and he was walking about, but he didn't even attempt to go outside. Instead, he stayed locked inside of his bedroom during the day and fell asleep on the couch at night. That was the first time I became a witness to Robert hiding, scared of someone looking for him outside.

This went on for about a while longer. Finally, two weeks later, I came home from buying groceries and found Robert in his bedroom, throwing his clothes into a suitcase.

"Pack quickly, Rose," he said. That was all he had to say.

The next day, we were on the train again.


End file.
